Browsing
Idioms starting with R
368 expressions
rabble rouser
Someone or something that tends to inspire mobs; something controversial or provocative.
raccoon eyes
The state of the orbits of the eyes (especially the undereye region) having a bluish-purpl…
race against time
A situation in which something must be done hurriedly, before a deadline.
race of truth
A time trial.
race out of the traps
To start something very quickly.
race queen
A glamorous model accompanying the pit crew in Japanese motor racing.
race riot
A riot arising from interracial conflict.
rack and ruin
Complete destruction.
rack up
To gain (points etc.; in a game or sport), to accumulate.
rafter snapper
A very cold night.
rag bagger
A sailor who tends to sail on messy cruising vessels.
rain buckets
To rain heavily
rain cats and dogs
To rain very heavily.
rain death
To cause severe harm or violence.
rain dogs and cats
Alternative form of rain cats and dogs.
rain down
To appear suddenly or inexplicably in large numbers.
rain fire and brimstone
To send horror or destruction.
rain off
to cancel (an event) due to excessive rain
rain on someone's parade
To spoil someone's celebration.
rain or shine
Regardless of the circumstances; (more literally) regardless of the state of the weather.
rain pitchforks
To rain heavily.
rain stopped play
The cessation of an activity or operation due to rain (by analogy with cricket).
rainbow baby
A baby that is conceived after a miscarriage or other loss of a baby.
rainbows and unicorns
A wonderful (but often unrealistic) scenario.
rainy day
A difficult period of need, in reference to a time when money will be needed.
raise Cain
Synonym of raise hell.
raise eyebrows
To cause surprise.
raise hell
To cause a considerable disturbance.
raise one's eyebrows
Of a person, to be surprised.
raise one's voice
To speak loudly, especially in anger.
raise someone's hackles
To annoy or anger someone.
raise someone's shag
To anger or annoy someone.
raise someone's spirits
To make someone feel in a better mood
raise the bar
To raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.
raise the flag and see who salutes
To float an idea, (or otherwise do some action) to see what response or controversy (if an…
raise the line
To take measures to increase healthcare capacity.
raise the roof
To cause a commotion, as by boisterous celebrating or loud complaining; to make considerab…
raise the spectre
To cause concern that something unfortunate might happen.
raise the stakes
To increase in significance or risk.
raise to the purple
To be elevated to a very high rank.
rake over
To discuss something unpleasant from the past.
rake over the coals
To call to task or to reprimand severely.
rake together
To collect, assemble or gather small amounts (especially of money), from various sources, …
rally around
rally round
rally round
To unite in order to support a fellow group member.
rally round the flag
To unite in order to support one's country, especially during a crisis or war.
ram something down someone's throat
To shove something down someone's throat.
rank and file
The members of an organization, community, etc. who are not in leadership positions.
rant and rave
To express furious anger.
rap and rend
To snatch (physically, or steal).
rap someone's knuckles
to give someone a punishment.
rare animal
Synonym of rare bird.
rat run
To drive through residential streets to avoid congestion on the main roads.
rat's nest
Something that is excessively complicated, entangled, or disorderly (either physically or …
rattle off
To list or recite quickly.
rattle through
To do something extremely quickly and perfunctorily.
raw deal
A situation in which a person is taken advantage of or treated unfairly; a situation in wh…
ray of light
An inspiring or enlightening person or thing.
razz someone's berries
To impress somebody.
reach for the sky
To aim for the best possible outcome.
reach for the stars
To have high hopes; to be ambitious.
read between the lines
To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.
read in
To allow access to classified information.
read lips
To lipread.
read minds
To read people's minds (in general).
read oneself in
To read aloud the Thirty-nine Articles and the Declaration of Assent; required of a clergy…
read out
To read something and say the words to inform other people; to call.
read someone the riot act
To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.
read someone to filth
To thoroughly insult, to comprehensively call attention to the flaws or shortcomings of (s…
read someone's lips
To pay close attention (often imperative).
read someone's mind
To guess or deduce what someone is thinking.
read the car
Of a rideshare driver, to assess the mood, energy, or preferences of a passenger immediate…
read the green
To determine the slope of a golf green and to analyze its surface, in order to evaluate it…
read the room
To understand the emotions and thoughts of the people present, especially to determine the…
ready and waiting
Already prepared for action or use.
ready or not
Determined, regardless of readiness or preparedness.
ready to roll
Of a person, machine, vehicle, or plan, fully prepared to begin functioning and operating.
ready up
to prepare for use, to get ready
real deal
A thing or person that is genuine, authentic, or worthy of serious regard.
real live
Authentic and indisputably present.
real McCoy
The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.
real quick
quickly, right away
reality check
A wake-up call; a reminder.
reality distortion field
The persuasive ability of a leader or entrepreneur, especially in misleading or convincing…
reap the harvest
To receive the rewards of something to one's efforts; get out what one puts in.
reap the whirlwind
To suffer bad consequences for one's actions.
reap what one sows
To receive as a return or reward in the same measure as one's exertions or intentions, in …
rear one's head
To appear and cause problems or stress, especially at an inopportune time (said of somethi…
rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic
To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that …
reason with
To convince (someone) to do (or not do) something using rational arguments; to get (someon…
rebound relationship
A relationship following a prior long-term relationship, usually short in duration and use…
recipe for disaster
A plan that sounds as though it will end disastrously.
reckon without one's host
To calculate one's bill without checking with the host or landlord; hence, to come to fals…
reclaim one's time
To assert control over one's allotted time, in order to stop interruptions and regain spea…
record book
A book which lists record-breaking achievements.
Red Baron
A hotshot fighter pilot.
red face test
A hypothetical test of a person's embarrassment that is either passed or failed. Saying on…
red flag
Something that will enrage a particular person; a red rag.
red ink
Financial loss.
red letter day
A particularly significant day; a day of personal or sectarian celebration.
red light
A denial to proceed a ruling out of any possibility.
red meat
Fresh, inspiring, or inflammatory topics or information.
red rider
War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
red tape
Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures.
redeem oneself
To resolve, or make up for, one's previous folly.
rediscover fire
To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well kno…
reduce someone to tears
To cause to cry.
reel in
To bring in (e.g. by attractive offers or persuasion); to lure.
reel off
To list effortlessly and quickly.
reflect upon
To consider a weighty topic or idea.
refrigerator mom
refrigerator mother
refrigerator mother
An emotionally frigid mother, who does not exhibit normal care or love for her child or ch…
reheat someone's nachos
To recreate or emulate something done before; to rehash; usually refers to celebrities or …
reign supreme
To be the most important or most prevalent.
reinvent the wheel
To do work unnecessarily when it has already been done satisfactorily by others; to attemp…
release the kraken
To unleash a greatly destructive force.
remain to be seen
To have not yet happened; to be as yet unknown.
rend one's garments
To fret or moan in an excessive or theatrical manner.
render unto Caesar
To give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment.
rent out
to lease, let; to allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent
reopen old wounds
To cause the memory of past trauma to be recalled, resulting in renewed suffering.
reset the dial
To change something radically; to reform or revolutionize something.
rest assured
Be sure; not need to worry; trust.
rest easy
To cease worrying about something; to not be concerned or troubled by worries.
rest his soul
Used parenthetically to mark the referent as being deceased
rest on one's laurels
To rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further.
rest one's soul
To wish that a person might find peace in the afterlife.
result in
To bring about; to lead to.
retrace one's steps
To return to a place one has been to before.
return the favor
To do something for someone similar to what they did for you.
return to form
To go back to a better, original state.
return to one's muttons
To get back to the business at hand.
returns to scale
a function describing how returns scale when production increases in the long run
rev up
To increase the speed of an engine, especially that of a stationary motor car.
reverse course
To stop and proceed in the opposite direction.
reverse Midas touch
The tendency to ruin or destroy any object or task at hand.
revolve around
To be essentially connected with; to concern.
revolving door syndrome
A situation in which employee turnover in an organization is inordinately high.
rhyme off
To list or recite quickly.
rhyme or reason
Logic; common sense.
rice chaser
A white person with a strong inclination and attraction toward Asians.
rich bitch
A person of any gender who combines affluence with abusive or entitled behavior.
Richard Roe
Synonym of John Doe.
rickle o' banes
An emaciated person or animal.
rid out
To clear out, to empty.
rid up
To empty, to clear out.
ridden hard and put away wet
Mistreated; not properly cared for.
riddle me that, Batman
Said to demand that the listener take notice of a question or situation just mentioned, es…
riddle wrapped in an enigma
Something very mysterious and hidden.
ride down
To cause (a horse) to fall when riding.
ride hard and put away wet
To mistreat (someone or something); to not properly care for.
ride herd on
To supervise.
ride high
To enjoy good fortune; to be in a privileged situation; to be particularly happy or proud.
ride off into the sunset
To depart and fade into obscurity.
ride on a rail
To be subjected to a punishment most prevalent in the United States in the 18th and 19th c…
ride on the back of
To make use of; to take advantage of.
ride one's bumper
To tailgate.
ride one's luck
To avoid failure only by good fortune.
ride out
To tackle a difficult situation and survive; to survive through; to weather.
ride roughshod over
To treat (someone) roughly or without care, control, moderation, or respect; to act in a b…
ride shotgun
To accompany the driver of a vehicle on a journey as an armed escort (originally with a sh…
ride tall in the saddle
To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.
ride the coattails
To succeed by virtue of association (with).
ride the crest of the wave
To go through a period of maximal prosperity.
ride the pine
To sit on the bench, to not be used in a game.
ride the rails
To travel by railway train, trolley, etc.
ride the short bus
To participate in a special education program, such as for those with learning disabilitie…
ride the tiger
To maintain control over something aggressive and dangerous.
ride the wave
To take advantage of a profitable period.
rig out
to provide with equipment or gear
right away
Very soon; quickly; immediately.
right of Genghis Khan
Of political views, extremely right-wing.
right on
An expression of enthusiasm or encouragement.
ring a bell
To seem at least vaguely familiar.
ring down the curtain
To end something.
ring false
To seem to be incorrect, or implausible.
ring hollow
To seem to be false or implausible; to be unconvincing.
ring off the hook
Of a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.
ring one's bell
To strike or bump one's own head with a strong blow, especially with concussive force.
ring someone's bell
To physically traumatize someone with a strong blow, especially a concussive blow to the h…
ring true
To seem to be correct, or plausible
ring up
To telephone; to call someone on the telephone.
ringside seat
Any vantage point providing an excellent view.
rip into
To verbally attack or criticise.
rip it up
To perform spectacularly.
rip off the band-aid
To perform a painful or unpleasant, but necessary, action quickly so as to minimize the pa…
rip off the bandage
To deal with a difficult situation by sudden difficult action.
rip someone's face off
To castigate someone very angrily.
rip someone's head off
To castigate someone very angrily.
rip to shreds
To criticize severely; to refute.
rip-snorting mad
extremely angry
ripe old age
A very old age
ripen up
to ripen; become ripe
rise and shine
Used to wish someone happiness upon waking up
rise to the challenge
To show resolve or effectiveness in dealing with a difficulty.
rise to the occasion
To show resolve or effectiveness in dealing with a difficulty.
rise to the purple
An elevation to a very high rank, especially a royal one.
rise up
To mount a rebellion or insurgency; to rebel; to revolt.
rise with the lark
To be awake and out of bed early in the morning.
risk it for the biscuit
To take a risk for the chance of some benefit or reward.
rivet counter
A person who has an obsession with the minutiae of their particular interest, especially i…
roach coach
A catering or food truck.
road hog
A motorist who straddles two lanes of traffic or otherwise monopolizes the road.
road less traveled
The less popular or less commonly taken option.
road to Damascus
An important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or belief…
roar back
To suddenly become active, powerful or functional after a period of decline.
roar on
To cheer loudly for.
rob Peter to pay Paul
To use resources that legitimately belong to or are needed by one party in order to satisf…
rob the cradle
To marry or become romantically involved with a much younger person, especially one from a…
robber baron
Especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries, a business tycoon who had great wealth an…
rock bottom
The very lowest possible level.
rock hound
A person who collects rocks and minerals from the natural environment as a hobby.
rock on
To party to music, especially rock, or to continue to perform any such music; to maintain …
rock out with one's cock out
To enjoy oneself immensely, to party.
rock the boat
To disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get atten…
rocket science
Anything overly complex, detailed, or confusing.
rocket scientist
One qualified to handle or understand things which are very complex or confusing; a very i…
rocket surgery
Anything overly complex, detailed, or confusing.
rocking horse shit
Something exceedingly rare or, more likely, nonexistent.
rocking-horse shit
Alternative form of rocking horse shit.
rod for one's back
The means of one's own punishment or downfall.
rod in pickle
A particular punishment or penalty prepared ready to be applied in the future.
roger that
Used to acknowledge receipt and understanding of a message
rogues' gallery
Any group of lawbreakers or other disreputable characters.
roll back the years
To produce a sense of nostalgia.
roll in the aisles
To laugh uproariously.
roll in wealth
To be very rich.
roll of the dice
A risky or uncertain attempt to do something, especially in an unfavourable situation.
roll off the tongue
To proceed into oral expression in a manner which is fluent, appealing, or glib.
roll one's eyes
To deliberately turn one's eyes upwards, usually to indicate disapproval, indifference or …
roll one's own
To create something of which an analogue is commercially available.
roll out the red carpet
To extend the utmost hospitality; to treat someone as an honored guest; to welcome or host…
roll tape
To begin recording or playing back audio or video material.
roll the pitch
Preparing audiences for an unpopular change.
roll up on
To sneak up to (someone or something) with the intention of causing harm.
roll up one's sleeves
To prepare to work.
roll up the sidewalks
To close all commercial businesses for the day.
roll with it
To deal with or accept unexpected changes or setbacks and cope with them.
rolling in it
Having an abundance of money; rich, very prosperous.
rolling stone
A person who moves around a lot and never settles down; a vagrant.
Roma locuta est, causa finita est
The discussion is at an end.
Rome wasn't built in a day
It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.
romp home
To win easily, especially in a race.
roof over one's head
Somewhere to live; shelter.
room for doubt
Eventuality.
root around
Alternative form of root about.
root cause
An initiating cause of a chain of events which leads to an outcome or effect of interest.
rooting interest
a desire for, or interest in, the success of a particular person or group, often a sports …
rope of sand
Something incohesive, flimsy, disconnected or unreliable
rose garden
A highly desirable situation.
rose-colored glasses
A cognitive or perceptual bias where an individual views something in an overly optimistic…
rot in hell
To suffer a fate worse than death.
rotten apple
A bad person, especially one who has a corrupting influence on others.
rotten egg
A person who is the latest, the last, or the slowest in a group to arrive somewhere or to …
rough and ready
Crude or unpolished, but still fit for use; good enough.
rough around the edges
In need of refinement; unsophisticated.
rough justice
Treatment or punishment that is not considered fair or in accordance with the law.
rough out
To produce (a plan, diagram etc.) in rough.
rough patch
A difficult or embattling period of one's life.
rough sledding
A difficult period of time.
rough sleeper
A homeless person who sleeps outdoors.
rough trot
A series of difficult circumstances.
roughen up
to make something rough or rougher
round of applause
An outburst of clapping among a group or audience.
round the bend
Crazy, mad or insane.
round the clock
Alternative form of round-the-clock.
round up
To collect or gather (something) together.
roving eye
Wide-ranging observation of one's surroundings.
row back
To change or revise a previous opinion or decision.
row in the same boat
To be in the same or similar situation.
row of pins
An insignificant thing, a whit.
royal bumps
A ritual of two or more persons holding another person by the arms and legs, face up, whil…
rub down
To rub from top to bottom, e.g. for cleaning, stripping paint or massage.
rub elbows
To associate closely; to consort, mingle, or socialize.
rub in
To make a point in an irritatingly emphatic manner.
rub it in
To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner …
rub off
To be transferred with little or no effort.
rub off on
To be acquired by or transferred to (someone) as a result of regular exposure.
rub one's hands together
To anticipate something eagerly.
rub salt in someone's wounds
To make a painful situation even worse (even with the best of intentions).
rub salt in the wound
To aggravate or exacerbate a physical or emotional injury.
rub shoulders
To associate closely; to socialize or mingle.
rub someone the wrong way
To bother, disturb, irritate, or annoy.
rub the fear of God into
Alternative form of put the fear of God into.
rub up the wrong way
To annoy or anger someone.
rubber hose
A classic animated cartoon style which was first introduced in the early 20th century.
rubber johnny
A condom.
rubber room
A cell lined with cushions used for confinement of a mentally disturbed person.
ruby slippers
A valuable feature (of software, etc.) overlooked by the user.
ruck up
To be brave, to show some courage, to keep moving forward in a difficult situation.
rue the day
To seriously regret one's actions.
ruffle someone's feathers
To unease, cause discomfort to someone.
rule in
To consider (something) as a possible option among others.
rule of thumb
A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoni…
rule OK
To be popularly accepted, or supported by the general majority of people.
rule out
To reject an option from a list of possibilities.
rule the day
To set the standard which guides behavior; to control a situation, group, strategy, etc.
rule the roost
To be the controlling member(s) of a family, organization, or other group.
rule the school
(of one or a group of students) To socially dominate a school's student population, or a m…
rumor campaign
A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concer…
rumor mill
A process in which a group or network of persons originate or promulgate gossip and other …
run a mile
To escape, flee, or leave a situation or relationship, usually as a result of a shocking o…
run a risk
To perform an action which may result in a loss or failure.
run a temperature
To have a fever.
run about
To be very busy doing many different things.
run across
To find or discover by chance; to come across.
run afoul of
To contravene.
run amok
To go on a rampage; to be in an uncontrollable rage.
run and gun
To do something hastily and with great energy.
run around
To be very busy doing many different things.
run around after
To spend a lot of time doing things for another person or group of people. Often used when…
run around like a chicken with its head cut off
To act in a haphazard or aimless way; to act frantically or without control.
run around with
To spend a lot of time with a person or group of people. Often implies disapproval on the …
run at the mouth
To speak ceaselessly or without end.
run away from
To avoid or shirk a problem or consequences; to rush to back away from or disclaim respons…
run down the clock
To waste time at the end of a match such that it is terminated by running out of time, or …
run for one's life
To attempt to escape an extremely unfavorable or unfortunate situation.
run for one's money
A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive sit…
run for the hills
To flee.
run for the roses
A college football game or series of games played with the ultimate goal of qualifying for…
run high
Of a river, to experience a strong current and be full and close to overflowing.
run hot and cold
To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success …
run in the family
To be a characteristic feature that is observed in several generations of a family.
run into a brick wall
to encounter an insurmountable barrier or obstacle to progress
run into the ground
To mismanage to the point of ruin.
run late
To be late; to fail to be on time.
run of play
A passage of play; a series of consecutive moments, considered as a whole.
run off
To make photocopies, or print.
run off at the mouth
To talk excessively.
run off with
To steal or abscond with.
run on
To continue without interruption
run on empty
To be losing enthusiasm or willingness; to lack motivation.
run on fumes
By extension, to operate with few resources, or be physically or emotionally overworked.
run one's name
To input an individual's name in a search engine or other database in order to search for …
run out
To use up or consume all
run out of steam
To run out of energy or motivation.
run out of town
To force someone out of a place or a position.
run out the clock
To preserve a lead in a game by retaining possession, to waste time.
run over
To exceed the allotted time.
run past
To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of (someone) in order to obtain their opinio…
run rampant
To go unchecked or without control; to be wild or excessive.
run rings around
Synonym of run circles around.
run riot
To act in an uncontrolled, unbridled manner.
run scared
To be in a state of fearful alarm.
run someone off their feet
To cause someone to become very busy, especially to an exhausting degree; to make someone …
run someone ragged
To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.
run someone's file
To search through someone's criminal record.
run something up the flagpole
To propose an idea or make a suggestion in order to acquire feedback from others.
run the clock down
To run down the clock.
run the gamut
To encompass the full range or variety possible.
run the gauntlet
To undergo a series of tests or challenges.
run the rule over
To examine carefully and thoroughly.
run the show
To be the leader, to be in charge.
run through
To summarise briefly.
run to
To reach a particular maximum amount, size, value, etc.
run to earth
To find someone or something after a long and difficult search.
run up
To make something, usually an item of clothing, very quickly.
run wild
To go unchecked; to be out of control.
run with
To follow something through to completion or realization.
run with scissors
To behave recklessly.
run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
To support both sides of an argument.
runners and riders
The candidates in a competition or leadership contest.
running start
An initial advantage at the beginning of some action or pursuit; a head start.
runt of the litter
The smallest and weakest person in a group, especially a group of siblings.
rush hour
The times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to …
rush in
To act quickly and without due thought
Russian roulette
A deadly game in which a person loads a single bullet in the cylinder of a revolver, spins…
rustle up
To forage for, or (figuratively) to quickly prepare, something.